Travel Scam Alert Archive

The most reported scam in Koh Samui. Rental operators take a security deposit or hold your passport, then claim on return that you caused damage to pre-existing dents or scratches. Repair bills of 10,000–50,000 THB are demanded. Operators may be backed by individuals who make peaceful resolution difficult.

Criminals on motorbikes snatch phones, bags, and cameras from pedestrians and tuk-tuk passengers in Phnom Penh. Australian Smartraveller and the US State Department both flag this as one of the most common crimes against visitors, with incidents increasing in 2024.

Men approach tourists in Habana Vieja claiming to work at a factory and offering premium Cohiba or Romeo y Julieta cigars at a fraction of store price. The cigars are invariably counterfeit, stuffed with low-grade tobacco or banana leaves.

Near Tiananmen Square and Wangfujing, friendly English-speaking students approach tourists claiming to want to practice English. They invite tourists for tea, and the bill arrives for hundreds or thousands of dollars. Intimidating staff prevent leaving without payment.

Friendly locals posing as university students practising English approach tourists near Wangfujing or Tiananmen and invite them to a traditional tea ceremony nearby. The experience ends with an exorbitant bill of several hundred USD for tea sampled, and some visitors report being blocked from leaving until they pay.

On heavily used lines such as Line 1 through the Tiananmen–Wangfujing corridor and Line 10, coordinated pickpocket teams operate with one member creating a distraction while another removes valuables. Tourists are consistently targeted at major transit hubs during peak hours.

Touts near Kabukicho or Roppongi invite tourists into a bar, claiming it is free entry or a flat rate. Once inside, drink and hostess companion fees accumulate silently, and the final bill can reach tens of thousands of yen. Bouncers may intimidate customers who refuse to pay.

Young people claiming to be art students at a nearby university approach tourists on the Bund or near Yu Garden, inviting them to a gallery showing. Visitors are pressured to buy overpriced, mass-produced prints as "original art."

Well-dressed locals posing as art students or young professionals approach tourists near the Bund or Nanjing Road, striking up friendly conversation and eventually inviting them to a nearby tea house or bar for a cultural experience. The bill at the end runs into hundreds of dollars for basic tea, and staff can be intimidating when tourists object.

Barcelona's La Rambla boulevard is Europe's most pickpocketed street. Organized gangs, often posing as tourists themselves, target phones, wallets, and cameras. Distractions include spilling drinks, asking for directions, or the mustard scam.

Thieves target sunbathers on Barceloneta Beach who leave bags unattended or fall asleep. Working in pairs, they distract or wait patiently for an opportunity to grab bags, phones, and wallets.

The three-cup shell game (trile) is played openly on La Rambla and near the beach with shills winning big to attract tourists. The operator uses sleight of hand — it is impossible to win. Tourists lose €20–200.

Organized pickpocket gangs operate heavily on RER B from CDG airport, Metro lines 1 and 6 (tourist lines), and at Châtelet-Les Halles. They target distracted tourists with luggage and phones out.

Near the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, groups of young people approach with clipboards asking tourists to sign a petition for deaf children or similar causes. While attention is on the clipboard, accomplices pickpocket bags and pockets.

Exchange offices in the Old Town Square and near tourist sites advertise excellent rates on large boards. Once tourists hand over foreign currency, the cashier performs calculations quickly and returns far fewer crowns than the advertised rate would indicate.

Exchange bureaus on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square advertise "0% commission, best rates" but apply a buy/sell spread that costs tourists up to 20% more than a bank ATM rate.

Bars and strip clubs on Wenceslas Square and surrounding streets present tourists with inflated drink bills. Attractive staff encourage rounds of drinks, and the bill at the end bears no relation to any menu. Bouncers prevent departure until paid.

The famous Tram 28 route through Alfama and Bairro Alto is one of Europe's most notorious pickpocket corridors. Organised gangs board the trams and systematically steal from distracted tourists enjoying the views.

Buses 40 and 64, which run from Termini Station to the Vatican, are notorious for organized pickpocket gangs. The buses get very crowded and thieves work in teams — one distracts while another steals.

Unlicensed taxis outside Bratislava main train station and at popular nightlife spots charge tourists €30–40 for rides worth €5. This is one of the most frequently reported scams in the city.

Restaurants along Mykonos Town's famous waterfront (Little Venice) charge €80–120+ for a basic meal per person and add service charges, cover charges, and bread charges without disclosure.

Criminals on scooters ride past pedestrians and snatch bags, phones, and cameras in one swift motion. Naples has one of the highest rates of this crime in Italy, particularly around Spaccanapoli, the waterfront, and near Napoli Centrale station.

Organised teams operate around the Duomo di Milano, using mimes, fake petitioners, and deliberate shoulder bumps to distract tourists while a partner lifts wallets and phones. One of the most reported scams in the city according to travel safety sources.

The Promenade des Anglais, Cours Saleya flower market, and Vieux-Nice streets are patrolled by highly skilled pickpocket teams who use distraction, bumping, and petition clipboards.

Restaurants along the Amalfi Coast routinely add 10–20% service charges to bills that are not prominently displayed on the menu. Some enforce minimum per-person spends even for children.

Vendors and restaurants switch the currency on card payment terminals from Turkish Lira to USD or EUR at the last moment. 100 TL becomes $100 USD — a difference of thousands of percent.

Many taxi drivers at Antalya Airport and the old city (Kaleiçi) refuse to run the meter, demanding fixed fares that are two to four times the metered rate. They rely on tourist unfamiliarity with local prices.

At the Giza Pyramids, operators offer "short" camel or horse rides for a small fee ($5–10). Once on the animal, the handler refuses to stop until taken far from the entry point, then demands $50–200 to be brought back. Threats may be used to enforce payment.

Camel and horse handlers at the Giza Pyramids offer a short ride for a small fee, often as little as 1 USD. Once the tourist is on the animal, the handler demands ten to twenty times the agreed price to bring it back, and may physically prevent the tourist from dismounting.

At the Pyramids and Egyptian Museum, men approach claiming to be licensed guides or "antiquities police." They tag along, point out things, then demand large sums. Refusal leads to aggressive confrontation or blocking of the path.

In the medina and near the port, strangers offer directions, walk alongside you, and point out sights without being asked, then demand large tips for their unsolicited "help."

Men near Djemaa el-Fna claim to be helping tourists find a hotel, restaurant, or specific location in the medina. They guide tourists through the maze of alleyways — deliberately getting them lost — then demand payment for "guiding" them out. Refusal leads to intimidation.

Men hang around the Valley of the Kings and Karnak Temple claiming to be official guides. They attach themselves uninvited and demand $20–$50 afterward.

A local dealer befriends tourists and offers hashish. Shortly after you accept, a "police officer" (working with the dealer) appears threatening arrest unless you pay a large bribe immediately.

Representatives at the airport arrival hall and along the Hotel Zone approach tourists offering free excursions, resort day passes, or dining credits in exchange for attending a 90-minute timeshare presentation. Presentations consistently last 4-6 hours and employ extreme high-pressure tactics.

Tourists are lured with offers of free theme park tickets, resort stays, or cash gifts in exchange for attending a 90-minute vacation club presentation. The presentation routinely runs 3–4 hours of high-pressure sales tactics. Rewards come loaded with blackout dates and hidden fees.

Operators run a shell game on folding tables near tourist-heavy areas like Times Square and Midtown. Shills in the crowd pretend to win to lure tourists into betting. The dealer controls the outcome and tourists never win once real money is on the table.

When Austin City Limits Music Festival and SXSW sell out, scammers flood Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and third-party sites with counterfeit wristbands and fake e-tickets. Victims have paid $500–$1,000+ and received nothing. The BBB received over 200 reports on ACL ticket fraud alone in a single season.

Thieves on Copacabana and Ipanema beaches work in pairs: one distracts (asking for directions, offering services) while another snatches phones, sunglasses, or bags left in the open. This is extremely common.

Coordinated groups of thieves target tourists on Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Some approach with trinkets or flirting as distractions; others simply grab phones, bags, and jewelry while running past. Solo tourists are most vulnerable.

Someone squirts a liquid on your back or shoulder, then another person helpfully offers to clean it. While being "cleaned," an accomplice steals your bag, wallet, or phone. Common in La Boca, San Telmo, and the city center.

Near Connaught Place and the railway stations, official-looking offices display Indian Tourism signs and approach tourists with offers of help. They sell overpriced tour packages, bogus train tickets, or simply collect money for services never delivered.

Near New Delhi Railway Station, unofficial travel agencies display professional-looking signs mimicking the official Indian Railways booking office. Staff tell tourists their intended train is full and sell them overpriced tickets on private buses or inferior services, sometimes issuing completely fake rail tickets that are rejected at the platform.

A person near the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, or Qutub Minar tells tourists the site is closed today due to a government function, religious holiday, or maintenance. They offer to take tourists to a nearby "better" sight instead, earning commissions.

Auto-rickshaw and tuk-tuk drivers in Jaipur earn significant commissions for every tourist they bring to carpet, textile, or handicraft shops. Drivers insist these are "government emporiums" or "factory prices" — they are not. Tourists are pressured into purchases.

A well-dressed, friendly stranger approaches near the Grand Palace and tells you it is closed for a holiday or special ceremony. They offer to take you somewhere better — a gem shop, tailor, or tourist site — where they receive a commission for bringing you in.

A tuk-tuk driver offers a suspiciously cheap city tour or even a free ride. The route includes multiple stops at gem shops, tailor shops, or travel agencies where the driver earns a commission. Tourists are pressured into purchases and the gems or suits are often fake or wildly overpriced.

A friendly local approaches tourists near the Grand Palace and claims it is closed for a special ceremony or Buddhist holiday. They then offer to take you to a "special temple" or gem store instead, using a tuk-tuk driver who earns commission from the shop. The palace is almost never closed to tourists during normal opening hours.

The Full Moon Party at Haad Rin beach draws up to 30,000 people. Organized pickpocket crews work the crowds all night, targeting drunk tourists for wallets, phones, and jewelry.

Jet ski rental operators present tourists with large damage bills for pre-existing scratches when they return the equipment. Operators may be backed by local mafia and become threatening when tourists refuse to pay.

Rental shops rent out motorbikes or scooters and then photograph them after return, claiming pre-existing scratches were caused by you. Staff may introduce damage between rental and return. Shops often hold your passport as a deposit, giving them leverage to demand hundreds of dollars in inflated repair fees.

Rental shops on Koh Tao take a cash deposit or passport, then inspect bikes meticulously on return and cite pre-existing scratches as new damage, refusing to refund the deposit.

Rental shops rent out bikes with pre-existing scratches and damage, then claim the tourist caused it when returning the bike, demanding hundreds of dollars. They may also hold your passport as deposit and refuse to return it.

Unofficial money changers in Kuta and tourist areas offer rates better than banks, but use sleight of hand to shortchange tourists. They may count notes quickly, fold bills, or use distracting chatter to palm money.

Unlicensed taxi drivers and fixers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport approach arriving passengers before they reach the official taxi queue, offering "fast" transport at flat rates 3–5x higher than metered fares. Some drivers take indirect routes to inflate the journey time and fare.

Unlicensed taxis outside the airport and bus station charge foreigners 3–5x the normal rate. Some meters are rigged to run fast.

Riders on motorbikes target tourists walking near Ben Thanh Market, District 1, and Bui Vien Street, snatching bags, phones, and cameras from the shoulder or hand. The bikes move fast and victims are sometimes dragged.

Unregistered operators use polished social media pages and unbeatable prices to collect payments for Boracay tours and accommodation that don't exist or are wildly different from advertised.

Thieves smash car windows at traffic lights and grab bags, phones, and laptops left visible on seats — the entire theft takes under 10 seconds. This is one of Cape Town's most consistently reported tourist dangers, occurring on the N2 highway between Cape Town International Airport and the city centre, along De Waal Drive, and at slow-moving intersections in the CBD including Buitenkant Street and Roeland Street. Thieves on foot or bicycle often work in pairs, with one creating a distraction as the other strikes.